The Best AI Video Generators in 2024
The most extensive comparison of 18 AI video generator tools with video examples.
Written by
Last updated
Lili Marocsik
October 28, 2024
As a video marketer who has worked full-time for big companies like Revolut and HelloFresh, I have to admit that this is my favorite area to review. It’s incredible how the companies keep overtaking each other every couple of weeks if not days.
Everybody loves video! So much so, that all social media channels tend to copy TikTok. But also for other causes like product tutorials, training videos, or ad creation, producing videos with AI gets easier by the minute.
I have tested and compared 18 AI video generators (yes, 18!). New tools hit the market daily and I want to provide a shortcut by sharing my experience with video AI with you.
In this blog post you’ll find an extensive comparison of all AI video makers available: Runway, HeyGen, Pictory, Colossyan, Pika Labs, Fliki, LumaAI, Veed.io, InVideo and more.
You know how marketing always makes everything look great? As if the tools work perfectly. We are not shown the 99 times the software created crap. This is especially true with AI, as the technology is still very young.
So in this review, you’ll get the honest truth. I will show you the videos I generated below, I changed very little, because I want you to get a feel for the base quality. You’ll see some affiliate links, but those tools are not necessarily the winners of each category, because it is important to me to give you an honest insight.
Looking for the best free AI video generator? Many of the tools offer trial packages, just take a look at our ‘Generosity’ rating to figure out the best deals to start with.
Alright, let’s get started!
Just fyi, our review contains a few affiliate marketing links. If you purchase any of the tools, we might receive a small commission.
There are very different use cases for AI video editors and generators. Let's break them down into 3 subcategories because it wouldn't be fair to compare a stable diffusion model to an AI avatar generator.
Reviewer Lili admits that this is her favorite AI area, since the new tools make her job as a video marketer exciting!
Types and Use Cases of AI Video Generators
Use Case 1: ASSEMBLE CLIPS OR REPURPOSE EXISTING FOOTAGE
Most famous AI tool for repurposing videos: Capcut and Pictory
Use case for repurposing videos: Social media, ads, and UGC
Repurpose any video, change framing or assemble it in a different way. Upload a script and let the tool match existing stock footage to the copy. Social media creators have a special place in their heart for these tools, because they save them so much time during the creation process.
Ranking for best AI Video Generator
Use Case 2: CREATE AN AVATAR
The most famous tool for AI avatars: Colossyan, HeyGen, Synthesia.
Use cases for an AI avatar: training videos, presentations, and online courses
Don't like to stand in front of a camera? Your home setup takes too much time or the studio rent is too high? Not a problem with today’s AI avatars. Admittedly the quality of AI avatars but also generated voices differs a lot. That's the whole point of why we are doing this here, right?
Ranking for best AI Video Generator
Use Case 3: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT
The most famous tool to create a video sequence: Runway
Use cases for prompt to video generators: Creative output, Ads
Similar to image generators like Dall E or Midjourney, these tools can create a completely new clip of anything you can dream of. They are still in their infancy, allowing us to create only 3-4 seconds at a time, but most likely one day they will birth the movies we watch.
Ranking for best AI Video Generator
Use Case 1:
Comparison of Video Repurposing AI Generators
1
Pictory
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
4
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Chat, Help Center
Key Features
- Text To Video Creation
- Automatic captioning & subtitles
- 16:9, 1:1 or 9:16 aspect ratios on text-to-video
- 3+ million licensed stock videos/images
- Personalized responses
- Visual content creation
- Templates and design tools
- Collaboration features
- Social media integration
- Text Animations
- Color Overlays
- Pictory GPT for Videos
- Diverse Video Elements
- Engaging Call to Action
- Tailored Brand Colors
- Unique Custom Frames
- Custom Pronunciations & Pauses in Voiceover
- Article-to-Video upgrade
- PowerPoint to Video
- Visual Search Filters
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Ease of use, very uncomplicated
- Free AI video generator credit 10min video per month
- AI voice over quality is great
- huge royalty free library
- most solid AI video generator with no bugs
Cons:
- Sign in gets stuck at times
Price Point
Black Friday Deal: GET 50% OFF on all annual plans!
2
Videoleap (Mobile App, Lightricks)
Setup/Onboarding
3
User Experience
5
Tool Performance
4
Use Cases
ASSEMBLE CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Email Request
Key Features
- Speech enhancer
- Replace Background
- AI Panorama
- Infinite Zoom
- AI Voice Swap
- AI Voice Avatar
- Scene Swap
- AI Effects 2.0
- Age Lapse
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- many great features
- no bugs
- easy interface
- fast rendering
Cons:
- Free trial turns into paid signup if not cancelled
Price Point
3
Capcut
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
NA
Key Features
- Text to speech
- Video to text
- Screen recorder
- video effects
- voice changer
- video upscaler
- Auto video generator
- Background remover
- AI models
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Free video editor
- mobile app available
Cons:
- Uncertainty about the scope of the free plan
- Script to video created something unusable
Price Point
4
VEED.IO
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
FAQ, Chat
Key Features
- Video Editor
- Animation Maker
- Text to Video AI
- Screen Recorder
- Subtitles & Descriptions
- Image to Video
- Video Trimmer
- AI Image Generator
- Audio Editor
- Voice Cloning
- GIF Maker
- Watermark Maker
- Infographic Video Maker
- Music Video Maker
- Stop Motion Video Maker
- Video Sales Letter
- and many more
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Price is very competitve
- Voice clone feature is quite good
Cons:
- have recently deleted some of my favorite features (e.g. eye correction)
- text-to-video feature rather weak
Price Point
Get 30% off with discount code VEEDNOV24
Pictory: For us the best AI Video Generator tool
for Repurposing Content
5
FlexClip
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Chat, Tutorials, Contact Us
Key Features
- AI toolkit including: AI text-to-video, Blog to video, AI image generation, AI script generation, AI auto subtitle generator and text-to-speech.
- Speed Curve, Split Screen Video, and Rich Text
- Millions of Royalty-free Stock Media including photos, videos, and music
- 5000+ exquisitely designed free video templates in diverse categories
- Cloud-stored function for trans-devices editing anywhere and anytime
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Easy to use
- AI Subtitle Generator works great
- Great free deal
- Great Voice over recorder
- Editing made easy
Cons:
- During export, the written text disappeared
Price Point
Use COUPON CODE FCHW and enjoy 30% off on all FlexClip plans and AI credits!
6
Invideo
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Chat, Email, Tutorials
Key Features
- Youtube Video Editor
- Slideshow Maker
- AI Talking Avatar
- AI Script Generator
- AI Text to Video
- AI Video Editor
- AI Faceless Video Generator
- AI Voice Generator
- Video Ad Maker
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Despite low audio quality, the VO sounds rather real than other tools
- Images fit the content well
- Download in 1080p
Cons:
- Long loading times
- Not using videos, but only stock images
- Prompts not completely followed
- A black box that can only be influenced by prompts (which it doesn't really follow)
Price Point
7
SteveAI
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
2
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
FAQ, Contact support, Video FAQ
Key Features
- Product Video maker
- Explainer Video Maker
- AI Marketing, Eduction
- AI Promo
- Video Ad Maker
- Slideshow
- Cartoon Video
- Photo Video
- Test to Video Converter
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Great variety of features
Cons:
- Text to GenAI is not available to test on free plan
- Download not possible for free plan
- Tool cut off the captions
- Voice-over sounds very artificial
Price Point
8
Fliki
Setup/Onboarding
4
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
2
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Chat, Community
Key Features
- Text to Video
- Idea to Video
- Text to Speech
- Blog to Video
- Tweet to Video
- Product Video
- AI voiceover
- AI avatar
- Voice Cloning
- PPT to video
- Photo to Video
- Translator
- Audio, Video, and Screen Recording
- AI-Generated Sound Effects
- Branding Customizations
- New Voices and Languages
- System Upgrades
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Very versatile tool
- Created pictures are beautiful
Cons:
- Didn't add voice over at all
- Free projects include watermark
- Video AI art not included in the free plan
Price Point
9
Repurpose.io
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
3
Tool Performance
1
Use Cases
ASSEMBLING CLIPS OR REPURPOSING VIDEOS FROM EXISTING FOOTAGE
Support
Chat, Help center
Key Features
- Content Calendar
- Remove Watermarks on TikTok Videos
- Backup Videos to Google Drive or Dropbox
- Short Form Videos Automation
- TikTok Hashtags as Tags on YouTube
- Bonus Feature: Better Tracking for Affiliates
- Customizable Voices
- Multilingual Capabilities
- Submagic - Subtitling Tool
- Easy Instagram Workflow
- Industry Insights
- Repurpose.io + Tool Spotlight
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Can serve directly to channel (if it works actually)
Cons:
- Simply didn't work
- not 100% self-explanatory
- buggy
Price Point
Category 2:
Comparison of AI avatar video generators
1
Colossyan
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
5
Tool Performance
5
Use Cases
CREATE AN AI AVATAR
Support
Help center, Email
Key Features
- 50+ ai avatars with various backgrounds
- 26 video & presentation templates
- 70+ languages
- almost 600 voices for various languages
- Create yourself as an avatar in 48 hours
- Clone your voice
- Multiple-choice questions
- Brand Kit
- Templates
- Collaboration Tools
- Interactive Video
- AI Assistant
- Import
- Language Variant Export
- Content Library
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Generated voice sounds realistic
- Very generous free trial
- Ease of use
- Appealing dashboard
Cons:
- Claims no sign up required, but for generating the video, you do
Price Point
2
HeyGen
Setup/Onboarding
4
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
4
Use Cases
CREATE AN AI AVATAR
Support
FAQ, Tutorial, Help Centre, Chat
Key Features
- 120+ Public Avatars
- 300+ Public Voices
- Talking Photo
- AI Influencer videos
- Generative AI Outfit
- Avatar FaceSwap
- 400+ Video Templates
- Instant, Interactive Avatars
- Personalized Intelligence
- 24/7 Customer Engagement
- Real-time Demos
- New HeyGen Dashboard
- PPT to Video
- PDF to Video
- Avatar Looks
- Stock Looks
- Photo Avatar 3.0
- Voice-Avatar Match
- Text Translate
- 50+ New Digital Actors to Photo
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- AI quite good
- AI voice better than most competitors
Cons:
- Dashboard had a twitch (kept shaking weirdly)
- Some fields didn't work
Price Point
3
HourOne
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
4
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
CREATE AN AI AVATAR
Support
Enquiry form, Help centre
Key Features
- Script Wizard
- Text to Video
- PDF & PPT to video
- Captions and media
- voice-overs
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Avatar's mouth movements are quite good
- Voices sound quite real
Cons:
- Extraordinary long rendering time
- Voices read content too fast
Price Point
4
Synthesia
Setup/Onboarding
3
User Experience
3
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
CREATE AN AI AVATAR
Support
Contact form, Help Center
Key Features
- Emotional Avatars (Expression)
- AI video generator
- AI-generated video content
- 140+ avatars
- Customizable avatars
- Multilingual support
- Video analytics
- 120+ languages
- Custom Video Message
- Multi-Avatar Scenes
- AI Video Localization
- AI Screen Recorder
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Ease of use
- AI voice fairly good
Cons:
- Avatars seems stiff
- trial complicated and very limited
Price Point
5
Deepbrain.io
Setup/Onboarding
3
User Experience
1
Tool Performance
1
Use Cases
CREATE AN AI AVATAR
Support
Chat, Customer support
Key Features
- Templates
- Import Powerpoints
- ChatGPT integration
- URL to AI video
- AI video editor
- Text to Video
- Text to speech
- Deepfake / Faceswap
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- ?
Cons:
- American AI voice has an accent
- Avatar cut out not exact
- Various error messages
- After signup, my project wasn't available anymore and I had to start all over
Price Point
Category 3:
Comparison of New Video Sequence AI Generators
Including best text to video AI and best image to video AI.
1
Runway
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
5
Tool Performance
4
Use Cases
PROMPT TO VIDEO: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT
Support
Help center, Enquiry form
Key Features
- Motion Brush
- Text to Video AI
- Image to Video AI
- Generate Images
- Infinitely Expand Images
- Reimagine Any Image
- Train Custom Models
- Erase Things from Videos
- Slow Mo Any Video
- Image to Video
- Background remover
- Gen-3 Alpha
- Complex Scene Changes
- Cinematic Choices
- Enhanced Fidelity
- Act-1 (animate human movements)
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Nice video quality
- Choice between 6 video sizes
- Free AI video generator credit is 105s
Cons:
- prompt not followed (they don't shake hands)
- long loading times
Price Point
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2
Luma AI
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
5
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
PROMPT TO VIDEO: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT
Support
not available on for free plan
Key Features
- Text To Video AI
- Image To Video AI
- NeRF AI 3D Capture
- 3D Textured Asset Generation
- Unity Integration
- Text-to-Video Conversion
- High-Quality Video Output
- Customizable Templates
- Dream Machine
- Guided Capture Mode
- Luma AI Genie
- NeRF Technology
- Image Zip Upload
- Interactive Scene Viewer
- 3D Exports
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Better in creating the requested movement than other video generators
- Generous free offer
Cons:
- Video not downloadable on free plan
- Unable to recognize the protagonists due to wrong perspective
- long loading times on free plan
Price Point
3
Pika Labs
Setup/Onboarding
5
User Experience
5
Tool Performance
3
Use Cases
PROMPT TO VIDEO: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT
Support
Enquiry form, FAQ
Key Features
- Image to Video
- Text to Video
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Ease of use, very uncomplicated
- The library of videos with the re-prompt feature is nice
Cons:
- Quality of generated video is so-so
- Only able to do animation style
Price Point
4
Plazmapunk
Setup/Onboarding
3
User Experience
3
Tool Performance
2
Use Cases
PROMPT TO VIDEO: GENERATE A NEW VIDEO SEQUENCE WITH A PROMPT
Support
FAQ, Enquiry form
Key Features
- Creates music videos, either with your own music or choosing a track from the library
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Cheap
Cons:
- Buggy, got stuck in the middle of the project
- Claimed I have no credits left before creating the first project
Price Point
FAQ online video editors
How to use an AI video editor?
It's super easy to create a video in minutes, using an AI-driven video editor, most tools are really self-explainatory. First you have to sign up (usually you can test the video software with a free plan and don't have to enter any credit card data). Then you upload the video material you want to work on or upload a video script in text form. Tools like Pictory will then match the content with free stock footage and even add background music. You can choose a voice over, transistions, captions and get to fine-tuning your edit.
Which AI video generator is best?
For us the best video editing tool with AI is Pictory, but we also like videoleap which is an app. For generating a video sequence from scratch we recommend Runway, it's been the best for a while now. But also Luma AI does a great job creating your vision. For avatars we prefer Colossyan and Heygen much over competitors like Synthesia or Deepbrain.io. Read the full comparison above and dive into the details there.
Can AI generate video from text and how to prompt an AI video tool?
Absolutely! That's mostly what AI-driven video software such as Runway or pikalabs do. You enter a prompt (add variables like style, background and perspective) and see what comes out. The first sequence will probably not be perfect right away. If there is something that you don't want then add it as a negative prompt.
Which is the best free AI video generator?
To our knowledge none of the clip generators is completely for free, but pretty much all companies offer a free period or credits. For example Pictory offers 10min of free video footage, but you have to create it within 14 days (which should be more than enough). When searching for "best AI video generator free" many paid tools like Invideo, Canva and Kapwing come up, but none of them are free video editors, they just offer limited free plans. Also, Canva's video feature is on the weaker side and didn't even make it into our big AI video editor comparison.
What is AI video generation?
Great question, because generally video generators have 3 completely different use cases:
Assemble and repurpose videos
Create a new sequence from scratch
Generate AI avatars
Some tools like Heygen can do both: assemble clips and generate avatars and it does it quite decently. But for mission two, creating a new sequence we really just recommend the specific video software, the outcomes are pretty weak with other tools.
For details check out our extensive AI video comparison above.
What does the clip creator from Hubspot offer?
With the Hubspot Clip Creator, you can create 10 video projects for free. When starting out, you can choose if you want to make a video with a template or generate it with AI. Next, answer a few questions about the purpose of the video, the size of your business, and the desired tone of voice. It will create your unique clip in a few seconds with background music, written content, and suitable frames. You can easily adjust it or upload your own copy. Ten videos for free is a generous offer, so give it a shot if you feel overwhelmed with the video editors we've mentioned above. Hubpost Clip Creator is a good alternative because it has boiled down to the absolute minimum of video creation.
Does Canva have an AI video editor?
Yes, Canva has an AI video tool, but to be honest it's not working as well as other tools. The editing feature itself is very limited and it can't create good video sequences from scratch. I'm sure they are working hard on their video production section, then we will test it properly for our big AI video editor comparison. For now it just didn't create videos on the level we'd like to see.
Other AI video makers:
Upcoming
Sora AI from OpenAI
Key features:
Versatile Video Sampling
Improved Framing of Videos
Language Understanding of the Model
Multiple Prompt Types to Generate Videos
Time-Extended Video Showcase
Video to video editing
Interpolating Video
Dynamic Camera Motion – 3D consistency.
STATUS: Not tested yet.
Lumiere (Google) launching soon for the public
Key features:
Text-to-Video
Image to Video
Stylized Generation
Video Stylization
Cinemagraphs
Inpainting
STATUS: Not tested yet.
Via Application
Key features:
Text-to-Video
Image to Video
Stylized Generation
Video Stylization
Cinemagraphs
Inpainting
Free Community License
Stable Video 4D
Enhanced Image Editing
Conclusions:
I was not able to test Stability.AI directly, I applied for it but didn’t hear back from them. This tool is rather an overkill for simple video generation and more tailored to professional video creators.
But we shall keep an eye on it, because Dreamstudio, the image generator from Stability.AI was my favorite tool in the test where I gave 11 tools the same prompt. Check out the generated images here.
Stability.AI - Stable Diffusion
For non-commercial use only, mostly for professionals
How I rated the tools
Despite such a different variety of use cases, the factors for my rating are the same for all categories:
Setup/Onboarding: How easy is it to get started with this tool? How simple is the signup, are there any hurdles and complications or can you just start right away?
User Experience: How easy is the tool to handle and the dashboard to understand? I'm a non-techie person, my reviews are user-friendly and I expect the same from the tools.
Tool Performance: It all comes down to the output and its quality. Not expecting miracles, but rather comparing the different tools to each other.
Generosity: Since most of my audience is small business owners and have to watch dollars just like a dime, I appreciate generous trials and free packages.
All prices are monthly because these times are too exciting with new tools every day on the market. You shouldn't commit to a whole year just yet.
How I tested the tools
Within the same category, I gave all tools the same prompt or mission because I wanted to compare the generated videos directly.
The assignment for category 1 was:
a) Create a completely new sequence with the prompt
‘2 people are looking at each other, one is an AI robot, the other a woman. The background is space and the mood is friendly. Make the two protagonists shake their hands.’
or
b) where I was able to use a seed image, I used one I had generated previously with Dreamstudio for my image generator review and prompted for their hands to shake.
Ok, I hope this extensive comparison of AI video generators in 2024 will help you find your favorite product.
For me, tools that offer both at once: writing out the script and generating the visual part don't work well at all. At least yet. They just deliver a mumbo jumbo. I rather control one of the factors than have to struggle around with both.
By the way, did you sign up for our newsletter yet? You can even get free access to our video course, which is a great introduction to AI for small businesses or individuals wanting to raise their productivity. See below!